Intimate festival in the forest features fantastic family vibe

Nick Lakin

A Lancashire festival which started out “begging bands, borrowing equipment and blagging local farmers for camping ground” reaches its sixth year this July.

Cloudspotting Festival bloomed from a group of friends’ love of music at the well known Aspinall Arms in the Ribble Valley, and has developed into an annual celebration with a family friendly vibe at Stephen Park in Gisburn Forest, near Slaidburn.

The first wave of acts has been released for this year’s festival, taking place over three days between July 29 and 31. The intimate event features two live music stages, late night DJs, an outdoor food court, interactive arts, music workshops, cinema, a songs and stories stage, a beer festival, outdoor pursuits and a family and field theatre.

Although music features heavily at the 1,000 capacity event, Stephen Park is surrounded by forests and there is lots to explore, while at night, the sky comes alive in one of the country’s least light polluted areas.

King Creosote, Honeyfeet, Bossy Love, Kid Carpet, Cristobal and The Sea, Jeramiah Ferrari and Henge have already been announced for 2016’s line-up, with more to follow over the coming weeks.

Performances last year included Dutch Uncles, Ezra Furman, This Is The Kit, The Travelling Band, The Lovely Eggs, Rozi Plain and Harp and a Monkey.

Cloudspotting Festival 2014

There are events for kids across the three days as well, with workshops, scavenger hunts, storytelling, a lantern parade, forest school sessions, the Little Fluffy Clouds baby tent, The Fabularium outdoor performance company, and walkabout puppet act The Flying Buttresses Hodman and Sally.

Tickets for Cloudspotting, which was a recommended festival by The Guardian last year, are £109 for adults, £20 for under 16s, £10 for a weekend car parking ticket and £30 for a live-in vehicle.

More information available at www.cloudspotting-festival.co.uk or at the festival’s Facebook page.